Therapies
Some pupils have needs which require Physio and/or Occupational therapy support. Therapists are welcomed into school and they will devise a suitable support programme.
Pupils with formal Physio or Occupational needs identified in their EHC plans have regular time set throughout the week to undertake these whilst being appropriately supported by a staff member. Depending on the tailored programme, it can be undertaken in or out of the classroom.
Support for all pupils
Speech and Language Therapy is also known as Communication Time at Heathlands. The school has a team of Speech and Language Therapists who work with all pupils. For more information please click on Speech, Language and Communication tab under ‘Curriculum’ at the top of our website.
In addition classroom staff are trained in delivering various therapeutic interventions which can be incorporated, when appropriate, into the planning for each pupil on a class, small group or individual basis as appropriate. The main interventions we use are as follows
SMARTmoves. An occupational therapist based programme which supports pupils with motor control difficulties by assessing areas of difficulty and implementing a range of fun games and activities to develop core strength and develop their own physical key skills at their own pace. A range of staff are delivered to assess and undertake the SMARTmoves programme, usually running twice a week with small groups of children of a similar age.
Fine motor skills. Staff at Heathlands have been trained in developing pupils fine motor skills using a range of activities and programmes. Undertaken several times a week, often daily, fine motor skills ensures children can complete important tasks such as writing, doing buttons and zippers and making the correct handshapes in sign language to be easily understood.
Lego therapy. Lego is universally loved by children and adults and at Heathlands, Lego is also used to develop verbal and non-verbal communication, sharing and turn taking and collaborative problem solving with small groups of pupils led by trained staff members. This leads to better social and emotional understanding and resilience skills in children.